All life depends on energy because life is the process of using energy
to lower entropy. On Earth, people and societies consume fossil fuels
as the primary source of energy. About a third of the world's total
supply of oil has already been consumed by man. With development
exploding in countries such as China, demand is rapidly increasing. If
we don't do something now, our children will inherit a disaster of
world-wide proportions. Once the fossil fuels are used up, modern life
as we know it will stop, and we will no longer be able to afford to use
the fossil fuels for their other uses as chemicals for making materials
of all kinds, upon which we depend.

Sol, our sun, shines about 1000 watts of power onto each square meter
of the Earth. This is used by plant life to sustain the ecosystem of
life. The remaining power is reflected into space, drives the weather,
and eventually turns into heat. If we take a portion of this energy
from the sun, it can eventually replace our energy needs currently met
by fossil fuels, which life took millions of years to make. The use of
solar energy does not add more heat to the earth, does not create green
house gases which can affect the climate, and it leaves fossil fuels
for their more valuable uses as raw materials.

Photovoltaic solar cells are reaching the cost levels that will make
them the most economical and environment friendly source of energy. As
demand for them grows, the efficiencies of scale will continue to lower
their costs. If every rooftop were covered with solar cells optimally
pointed toward the sun, and if this energy were fed into the grid and
into storage, this could satisfy a major portion of our energy
requirements.

"A 100 mile by 100 mile square of Texas covered with solar
cells would on average produce enough electricity to run the country."

The city of Austin Texas has taken a wonderful, forward looking step
toward using renewable energy and recently passed one of the best
incentive programs for encouraging the use of roof-top Photovoltaic
solar cells. Some raw solar cells are down to $3 per watt while the
subsidy pays $5 per watt. Mounting, installation, and the inverters
which connect them to the electric grid cost more. However, with a 25
year warranty, these cells are an attractive investment in our future.
Try out the unofficial Solar Energy
Calculator. Also,
visit Austin
Energy and read about their Solar Rebate program.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions for this site,
please email them to solar@101iq.com.

Another worthwhile endeavor: Contribute your computer's idle time for the betterment of humanity and the world, see
World Community Grid.